Abstract
The average time (response time) it takes currently for the information on a train that has stopped in the middle of nowhere to flow from the train crew through related departments (operations, planning, maintenance) at Wits Metrorail headquarters before technicians can leave for the place of Incident is 40 minutes. This time is too long and by the time the technicians get to the train passengers might be frustrated to the point of torching the train coaches. This has resulted in a loss of assets. The UML’s Sequence diagram has been used in this work because of the following features: it models real-time applications and shows explicit sequence of stimuli messages exchanged between object instances participating in the interaction. Thus its use by related departments at Metrorail ensures fast exchange of train Incident information within these departments. SOAP, web services and mobile computing applications form part of the model. An integrated real-time information sharing model that enables related departments to see information at the same time has been developed. This model can reduce the current response time to train Incident by 75%. The model ensures accuracy and reliability of information through the communication chain and also fast exchange of information between related departments than any system that we know of within the railway companies in South Africa.